Two Chicks Obsessed with Books & Eye Candy

Sharing our love of M/M Romance

Book Review

Sol: Learning to Love #2 by Con Riley: New Release Review

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Solomon Trebeck’s heart broke the night of his bi-awakening.

Fifteen years later, Sol’s back in Cornwall where it happened, single, shy, and oh-so lonely. Teaching art to kids wasn’t his life plan. Neither is raising a teenage nephew, but with no family left to support him, a live-in job at a boarding school becomes his life raft.

Problem: that life raft is sinking.

Solution: Sol’s first love could have the cash to keep it afloat.

Reconnecting with Jace Pascoe might save the school—the one place Sol’s nephew is happy. Asking for his help opens old wounds, but Jace helps to heal them, fusing Sol’s broken heart back together. However, Jace has his own shadows, no matter how brightly his smile dazzles.

Falling for Jace again could be so easy. It could also be a huge risk when neither of them plans to stay in Cornwall forever….

♥ Featuring sweet angst, hurt/comfort, and second chances for a shy heart, Sol is a standalone MM romance novel in the Learning to Love series with a fulfilling happily ever after. ♥

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Book 1: Charles

Book 3: Luke (coming Feb 2022)

Oh Sol. He piqued my interest back in book 1, Charles. So I was definitely wanting to read his story. And while it seems like a second chance love story, it is almost first chance since back when they were teens they only shared a kiss before life flipped on them.

And while I really enjoyed their story- very little angst as a couple. More outside influences causing stress rather than relationship stress. They were really good together and complimented each other well. Jace assimilated himself into Sol’s life almost without Sol noticing. He made no demands, accepted Sol and his life as is. Which includes a surly teen nephew he is the guardian of, a sister in a care home and a job at a school that might be closing.

Jace also connects with Sol’s nephew pretty much right from the start. Which helps Sol as well. Because 15 year old boys are tough. Add in the trauma he has dealt with and wow.

As I am wont to do, it is the little things. How had Jace been there and for several months and never run into Sol? Jace speaks as if that town is his home, but he is renting a place short term.

A flashback of when they were teens and how they interacted, even on that last night would have been appreciated, but there were enough anecdotes that gave us a clear picture.

We also got some Charles time, but not enough Hugo for my liking. And Luke. The poor headmaster who just wants to run his school and help kids. I can’t wait for his story.

This was a satisfying read with several other plot tendrils that added to the story. Definitely recommend.

4 pieces of eye candy

Pick Me (Sunday Brothers Book 1) May Archer: New Release Review

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The job at Sunday Orchard was supposed to be temporary.

A chance to gain some work experience. To have some fun. To get away from my overprotective brothers. To maybe, possibly encounter some lumberjacks in their natural habitat before moving on to the dream career that awaited me in the city.

I had not expected to be welcomed into a family of gorgeous and weirdly efficient lumberjack-types myself. Or to find a purpose in the tiny Vermont town whose claim to fame seemed to be apple-based products and copious amounts of charm.

And I most definitely hadn’t expected to fall for Knox Sunday, my grumpy, burly, fifteen-years-older, reluctant roommate, with his infuriating lectures, his hot-as-fire body, his superior attitude, his snarky humor, and his stealth cuddles.

Now I find myself making excuses to delay my big dreams… just for a little while.

But Knox has unfulfilled dreams of his own. A career he walked away from. A big city life in Boston he left behind when he returned to his hometown to help his family. He claims he’s not looking for anything permanent, and I’ve never been one to put down roots.

My big life is waiting for me somewhere other than Little Pippin Hollow. So why does it feel like I’ve finally found the home of my heart?

And how can I get Knox Sunday to… pick me?

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Literally, I needed the cuteness of this right now, I cannot wait for more of this series!

First, we meet Gage… siiigh, Gage. He’s a smart, young guy, knows what he wants and is eager to start his life in the city, but in order to do that, he needs a little experience. Not sure of what to do just yet, he finds Sunday Orchard and seems like the perfect place to figure out his next move. It doesn’t hurt that when he looks up the place he spots a sexy flannel shirt that fits all of his lumberjack kinks to a T. And honestly, who can blame em, amirite?

And Knox… kind of a big deal in big city, right? But it’s coming at a cost. That’s what sends him back to the family’s place a cute little town and seems to be exactly what he needs, that is, until he meets Gage that he has absolutely no time and patience for and is forced to not only share an work place with this guy but an apartment as well. What could possibly go wrong? These two are the opposites in every way. Where Gage is lighthearted and chatty, Knox is broody and kinda grumpy… but isn’t someone like Gage exactly what he needs? Why yes, yes he is, and how fun it is seeing these two go round.

It’s always the ones that make you work for it that seem truly worth it and once Gage sets his sights on Knox, he knows he has to crack him. I absolutely adore these two, I love the entire town and the close knit community. I love the family and how they open themselves up to Gage and bring him into their fold, no question. I love the banter and the lightheartedness and I even fell in love with the surly Knox in no time. He was so worth the hassle, wasn’t he? They meshed so well together because they were so different, I feel like Gage needed a little grounding and Knox needed some of the lightness that made him so grumpy about Gage. It was just so cute and once I started it, I couldn’t put it down.

I’ve been in a rut the last several months, catching Covid and then being hospitalized with covid pneumonia and no one tells you the mental toll it takes on your mental health and well being, but this story and these guys and their family pulled me from a pretty dark and stressful place and I’d forgotten how much stories like these can do that.

I loved everything about this story and I cannot wait to see what happens with Webb… I have a feeling he’s going to end up my favorite.

Maybe. We’ll see.

5 pieces of eye candy

Unwritten Rules: A Gay Sports Romance by KD Casey: New Release Review

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Zach Glasser has put up with a lot for the sport he loves. Endless days on the road, playing half-decent baseball in front of half-full stadiums and endless nights alone, pretending this is the life he’s always wanted.

The thing is, it could have been everything he ever wanted—if only he’d had the guts to tell his family, tell the club, that he was in love with his teammate Eugenio Morales. Well, ex-teammate now. When Zach wouldn’t—couldn’t—come out, Eugenio made the devastating choice to move on, demanding a trade away from Oakland. Away from Zach.

Three years and countless regrets later, Zach still can’t get Eugenio out of his head. Or his heart. And when they both get selected to play in the league’s All-Star Classic, those feelings and that chemistry come roaring back.

Zach wants a second chance. Eugenio wants a relationship he doesn’t have to hide. Maybe it’s finally time they both get what they want.

Amazon

I love baseball. And I love reading romances that involve baseball. So seeing this was 2 baseball players? I was here for it. But dang. This book is DENSE. There is SO. MUCH. BASEBALL. And not regular season games. Close to half (it seemed) was spring training. The minutia of a catcher framing baseballs and a pitcher tipping a certain pitch. I have a feeling that a lot of readers might stop reading just for that. It was just way too much.

Another thing that really drew me in was that one of the main characters, Zach, has hearing loss. And how that affects daily life was really well represented. But being that it is such a big part of who he is, when he finally addresses it, it’s like a throw away comment. “Oh, probably genetic…” Seriously?

When Zach and Eugenio are together, it is great. The practically vibrate with their love for each other. And even though it is Zach who wants to stay firmly in the closet, it is Eugenio who has parents who are very religious and even teach various religious classes at college.

There is a lot of back and forth as well. Three years ago, present day. Back and forth. Gimme 3 years ago all at once, then time jump.

When we finally get to only present day, all of the back story is told, it just kind of ends. The book was Zach’s journey to the point of coming out of the closet. And he does, but not publicly at all. It seemed very unfinished.

If you can get through most of the baseball talk, there is a decent romance there between them. But the technical aspects really bogged the story down.

3.5 pieces of eye candy

Sleepwalker (In Step book 2) by Rachel Ember: Release Day Review * 2

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Oliver delights in control—at work as a top-tier lawyer, at home as a happy bachelor, and in the bedroom as a demanding Dom. That control slips when he meets Cujo, a stray Chihuahua who is just as vicious as she is tiny. Luckily, Blake, the young artist and dog-walker who comes to Oliver’s aid, is a miracle worker. When Oliver works late or has to travel, Blake is a text away. When Cujo needs a sweater or allergy medicine and growls in that way that promises bloodshed, Blake is there to save the day.

It hasn’t escaped Oliver’s attention that in addition to being useful, Blake is also smart, funny, and sexy. But Oliver can control himself, no matter how wild his imagination runs when he considers what he’d like to do with Blake. Besides, what are the odds that Blake’s tastes would intersect with Oliver’s very specific kinks?

Blake’s life is kind of a mess. He has nothing to show for his art degree except a portfolio reminding him that now, every time he gets in front of a canvas, he’s struck with a splitting headache before he can create anything worthwhile. His dog-walking business isn’t much of a business, really—it doesn’t pay the bills—but it’s the only thing he’s done lately that he feels good about. Things don’t seem like they could get any more bleak, and then he’s busted for marijuana possession.

And when he’s escorted to the courtroom in cuffs, the last person he expects to see on the bench in judge’s robes is Oliver… the dog-walking client he’s had a crush on since the day they met.

Amazon

I read book 1 and while it was fine, I certainly didn’t love it. BUT I really wanted to read book 2 because I just had a feeling it would be better. And I was totally right.

We got to know Oliver and Blake in book 1. But the first chapter of this book is a throwback a year or so when Oliver gets a dog. And therefore a dog walker. Who he is completely attracted to, but has rules about who he has sex with. Someone he “counts on” isn’t one of them. I thought that was kind of cool. You hear characters say no co workers or bosses or employees or friends or whatever. But no one you count on it really brilliant.

And so for a year Blake is just the dog walker and some time dog trainer for Oliver’s dog Cujo. Until something changed.

Both Blake and Oliver aren’t quite sure what they are doing and what they are and there are several small time jumps. A week, 6 weeks, etc. They didn’t feel misplaced and there wasn’t any story lacking with those jumps.

Although their burgeoning relationship was kind of haphazard, there was never that “No! I don’t want to be in a relationship!” thing that is getting rather old. Nor was their age difference made an issue. They really just seemed like 2 normal guys feeling their way around.

There is some light BDSM action, so if that isn’t your thing, now you know. They were good scenes, but also they were kind of out of place in the book. The cover and a lot of the story is very light hearted. Because of that, it wasn’t easy picturing Oliver as a dom. They could very easily have had hot vanilla sex and it would have fit better.

I will say that a big reason I am giving it 4 POEC is the BDSM element and because there seems to have been a fairly big thing left dangling. Ok, 2 big things now that I think about it.

But it was a good story that I enjoyed and I am glad I gave book 2 a chance.

Easily a stand alone also.

4 pieces of eye candy

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, more than Erin did. 😉 So, I was very much looking forward to book 2. I needed to know how someone like Oliver ended up with a chihuahua named Cujo. And how two such opposite people would end up together. Surprise, surprise! It worked!

We meet Blake in book 1, and he is just a dog walker to Oliver, as far as we understand. However, when this book picks up, it’s a year later, and Blake has actually spent a lot of his time training Cujo with Oliver, and maybe a crush was starting to happen a little. However, the point of change is big for Blake, when he sees a previous hookup of Oliver’s who does nothing to hide their BDSM relationship. Blake immediately knows it’s something he wants…and needs.

Blake’s health is a large part of the book, as well it should be. Seeing how it affected his every day life, and he kept moving, no matter what, was heart wrenching. Even as he hid it from everyone, he could have simply allowed his wealthy mother to care for or assist him, but he was determined to do all he could to just take that next step forward.

Landing in Oliver’s courtroom turned into the best thing that could have happened to Blake. It gave him the chance to open up, even in small pieces to someone he had already felt some trust with.

Their relationship developed naturally, and with small things here and there, which was perfect for both of them. They didn’t need to spend every minute with each other, they just needed to make those minutes count. Although seeing Oliver bumbling with Emile, as he started to fall for Blake was fun. The always put together, perfect in so many ways lawyer/judge feeling off kilter was fun to see.

There are a couple pieces that I’d have liked to have expanded, but all in all, I really enjoyed this one. And the showing at the end…felt so hard fought, and worth it. Well done.

4 pieces of eye candy

Unwritten Rules: A Gay Sports Romance by KD Casey: Release Day Review

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Ex-teammates—and exes—reunite for a second chance in this delightful sports romance from debut author KD Casey.

Zach Glasser has put up with a lot for the sport he loves. Endless days on the road, playing half-decent baseball in front of half-full stadiums and endless nights alone, pretending this is the life he’s always wanted.

The thing is, it could have been everything he ever wanted—if only he’d had the guts to tell his family, tell the club, that he was in love with his teammate Eugenio Morales. Well, ex-teammate now. When Zach wouldn’t—couldn’t—come out, Eugenio made the devastating choice to move on, demanding a trade away from Oakland. Away from Zach.

Three years and countless regrets later, Zach still can’t get Eugenio out of his head. Or his heart. And when they both get selected to play in the league’s All-Star Classic, those feelings and that chemistry come roaring back.

Zach wants a second chance. Eugenio wants a relationship he doesn’t have to hide. Maybe it’s finally time they both get what they want.

Amazon

Harlequin/Carina Press

I am a HUGE baseball fan. I’ve been a baseball fan my entire life, and I have a better than decent amount of knowledge, likely more than the average baseball fan. So, a lot of the terms and baseball verbiage that were used were things I knew and understood. That being said, I would venture to guess the average baseball fan, someone who watches occas, would not understand a large portion of the baseball terms in this book. It was extremely detailed in that aspect, which if I was reading a baseball book, would be completely understandable, but as this was intended as a romance, I think it was likely too much detail. I will say, though, the author clearly knows her stuff when it comes to baseball.

There were a few other details that struck me as strange, such as locations/events that were very closely named to actual MLB names, but only very slightly changed. Perhaps this was to avoid any trademark infringements, however, then I would think those things should have been changed completely.

With the romance, Eugenio leaves the team he and Zach were on, because Zach wouldn’t come out. And I couldn’t blame Eugenio one bit. Zach’s self loathing must have been hard to deal with. We get to see both the past and the present for these two, and seeing how difficult was for both of them was very sad. They had a lot in common, and clearly felt for each other, but with Zach feeling the need to stay in the closet, it was not their time.

Zach needed to spend some time growing and learning that he deserved to be himself, to be loved. And I almost felt the book really should have just been about that, not necessarily about Zach and Eugenio. There wasn’t a ton of chemistry, in my opinion, again, likely because it was so much about Zach and where he needed to go, and very little on Eugenio’s journey.

All in all, I think that the book could have been shortened down by about 10,000 words to get rid of what I think was (for me as someone knows all these terms, and spends entirely too much time watching it) too much baseball (words I never expected to say), and spend a little more time romancing the reader. I’ll always take an HEA/HFN, and this one provides that.

3.5 pieces of eye candy

KD Casey is a romance writer and baseball enthusiast living in the Washington, DC area. She primarily writes queer romance, particularly about baseball players.

On the nonfiction side, her writing has also been featured in the Baseball Prospectus Annual, the Hardball Times, and other venues. She’s an experienced writer, editor, and podcaster. Find her at kdcaseywrites on Twitter and Instagram. Want a free story? Subscribe to her newsletter at kdcaseywrites.com

Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune; Narration Kirt Graves: New Release Review/Audiobook Review

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Welcome to Charon’s Crossing.
The tea is hot, the scones are fresh, and the dead are just passing through.

When a reaper comes to collect Wallace from his own funeral, Wallace begins to suspect he might be dead.

And when Hugo, the owner of a peculiar tea shop, promises to help him cross over, Wallace decides he’s definitely dead.

But even in death he’s not ready to abandon the life he barely lived, so when Wallace is given one week to cross over, he sets about living a lifetime in seven days.

Hilarious, haunting, and kind, Under the Whispering Door is an uplifting story about a life spent at the office and a death spent building a home.

Amazon

Audible

Okay, full disclosure…I received an arc (thank you!) from the publisher for an honest review. HOWEVER, when I saw that Kirt Graves was doing the audiobook narration, I decided to wait for the audio. It’s actually the first time I’ve preordered an audiobook. I knew that I would enjoy TJ Klune’s book, but I knew I would love it even more, with Kirt’s narration. And thanks to these two men, I spent the better part of 3 hours crying…all in the name of a true HAPPILY EVER AFTER.

I’m not even sure where to start with this book. The author’s world building is so incredible, bringing life to what should be a dead place. All of the characters were rich and nuanced, not only the main characters. In fact, there really weren’t two main characters in this romance, but five total, and we learn so much about them throughout the book. Meanwhile, Wallace learns a lot about himself, who he was before he died, and who he really wanted to become. And in the end, he did all he could to redeem the wrongs that he did in life, as well as the ones that he saw after his death.

I loved that Hugo couldn’t touch Wallace…it was such a small thing, but it really spoke to what these two men were dealing with as they fell in love. Their lives were going in separate directions, they couldn’t touch, only see and talk, so Mei had to be the one to make any contact…well unless you could Nelson’s cane (haha). On top of it all, this book was hilarious. I’m still working from home, and was super glad that I was not at work listening to this book, for all the laugh out loud moments…as well as the bawling I did for the previously mentioned 3 hours.

There were so many little scenes in the book that moved it from an average book to amazing. Wallace playing with Apollo out back, or hanging out with Nelson and just talking all night. Even how much he clearly grew to respect Mei and all she did for her found family. Seeing Cameron’s life, and doing what he could to help in the tea shop. Every small step Wallace made brought him from a man everyone hated in the first chapter, to someone who you rooted to find his happy ending. Wallace built himself a family simply by being the man he wanted to be.

The narration by Kirt Graves was spot on once again. I enjoy the little inflections he adds to each and every book he narrates. He takes something mildly funny, and with just a simple pause, or a tiny gasp he turns it into a laugh out loud moment. His vocal range always allows me to know which character is speaking, even if the words don’t, something that is much appreciated. Kirt is definitely my top 3 narrators in this genre, and I’m always happy to spend a few hours in the world that he works so hard to recreate from the author’s vision.

In the end, you could not have asked for a happier ending, or a more fulfilling ride along the way. Full of humor, joy at the little things (like tea!) and so uplifting. I may have had puffy eyes for a full day after, but it was all well worth it.

Story: 4.5 pieces of eye candy

Narration: 4.5 pieces of eye candy